Dehydrator

[Owly055]

I bought an LEM 5 tray dehydrator a couple of years ago, and have never regretted it.  Previously I had one of those cheap stackable round ones.   The LEM is virtually all plastic, and it was not cheap at about $150, but it does have superb temp control, and I use it for many things other than just dehydrating things.  I wasn't enthusiastic about the plastic construction, but the electrics are high, and the plastic construction allows me to submerge the lower portion in water when I end up with goo in the bottom.... which seldom as the machine has a drip tray.   I've done a lot of fruits and veggies, meats, made crackers, and various other things.  I use it for a fermentation chamber where I can control the temp..... natto for example, or proofing bread.    A local grocery store sets out discounted produce when it's about to go off..... I take full advantage.  For example I did mangoes last week.... just a few dollars for a number of large bags of small mangoes.    Delicious!   Before that it was pears, and they were fabulous as well.   I use citric acid and sugar sprinkled on things to keep them from browning.  Today I'm doing a bargain bag of Roma tomatoes.....(big bag for 99 cents)... Romas are no good as a slice and eat tomato, but superb to dry.... also doing some grape tomatoes.   Spraying them with olive oil, dusting with garlic salt, Italian seasoning, cayenne, and some citric acid.  The first batch (last night) were superb.  I'm taking them to the "leather" stage.   
     I usually vacuum seal and throw them in the freezer........  A vacuum sealer is non-optional, and I plan to build my own chamber sealer.

                                                                             H.W.

[s/v necessity]

We have one as well.  We don't use it very much, but whenever we do we feel supremely guilty for not using it more often.  When it's out it gets used, but we have a small kitchen. When it's put away it gets neglected for years at a time.

We have done probably everything you've listed.  I've done yogurt and keiffer as well.  It's crazy handy. Last thing I dried in it was watermelon...  If you get it right it's pretty amazing.

[Owly055]

My dehydrator does not live in my tiny kitchen.... it is set up ready to use in a storeroom.   I have learned never to pass up bargain items....... Fruits that are ready to "go off" are of no interest to most people......... To me they are a treasure.  They are at their sweetest and most flavorful in many cases..... A little citric acid to prevent browning, and I'm ready to rock.   

[Owly055]

     I used my dehydrator to sous vide a brisket the other day.  It adjusts to 150 max, which is approximately where I wanted to do it.   I sealed the brisket in two food saver bags, and brought them up to temp in water using my Emerill Legasse "instant pot" which has a sous vide function,  but didn't want to tie it up for 24 hours.  I did a dry rub with brown sugar, powdered hickory smoke, tenderquik (which I should not have used), and lots of black pepper (course ground), paprika, garlic powder, etc.   The dehydrator goes to 150F, which is approximately where I wanted to cook it.   Needless to say it came out somewhat similar to corned beef, as the tenderquick penetrated in... but that's ok I guess, just wasn't my intention.  The expelled juices were cooked down to concentrate them along with some honey, and I will smoke it in my mini kamado grill after first freezing it.  The freezing will hopefully keep a lot of the moisture in, as I will only smoke briefly to get a good "bark" on it, and I will brush the concentrated juices on it while it is in the cooker.   
      It is not a specific thing with a specific name.... It resembles corned beef due to the tenderquik.  I may use a little electric "fog generator" at the air intake to keep the air inside the barbecue moist.  It looks like a "happy accident"  whatever you want to call it.

                                                                                                               H.W.

[s/v necessity]

Man, I'm not sure you should use "accident" in a descriptive way when you are cooking meat at those temperatures!  (Actually 150 is rather high for sous vide isn't it?).  I'm gonna need to drag our excalibur out and set it up somewhere.  It gets used if it's out.

On the subject of cooking at criminally low temperatures... We got an electric smoker at a "freecycle" about a month ago, and now everything meat goes into the smoker.  It's great.  We had no idea how much we would like it.  It's also great to get the cooking out of the house and onto the back deck.  We have been amazed at how much difference it makes.   Any kind of cooking that is easier in every way, just slower works fine by us.  (We are happy to start sooner, if it means less work overall!)  It's already been bemoaned that there probably isn't any practical way to have a smoker on a boat...

[Owly055]

"criminally low temperatures".....  I've never heard Sous Vide described in that way.   We have been raised to cook the poop out of foods.  The truth is that you get 100% kill of bacteria at 130 after an hour.   Of course it doesn't kill bacterial spores such as are created by Botulinum, but that's not an issue, as we are not keeping the food for long periods of tiem in an anaerobic environment.   Sterilization / pasteurization is said to take place virtually instantly at 160F, the temp milk is pasteurized at, and at lower temps it has shown to take place over longer times the lower the temp down to about 130.   Below 130 you don't get a kill, and gradually move into the incubation zone.   I like  to sous vide at around 130-135 normally.  I find that texture and flavor of the meat is better if kept in that range.    I usually do chicken higher due to the texture, which is better at around 150.... Who like medium rare chicken anyway?     The choice of 150 for brisket had to do with the inherent toughness of the cut.  The connective tissue breaks down better at the higher temp.   Surprisingly the center was a pale pink even at that temp after 24 hours.    The result was moist and tender, and having cooked down the liquids from the sous vide which included the dissolved rub, which had brown sugar and black pepper, tenderquick, and hickory smoke powder, and added some additional honey to the reduction, and then used it for basting, I had a great flavorful bark on the exterior.  Everybody like it that tasted it.    Completely unlike most brisket.
     Most boats have a grill on board..... It should not be too much of a challenge to make a grill function for smoking.   My "smoker" is actually a ceramic Kamado type barbecue.  I rarely use it without some hardwood chips.  Actually one of my favorite smoke fuels is creek bottom willows cut live with bark on.    You can find them anywhere.  Maple twigs and leaves work quite well for a sweet smoke also.   Piled on the coals they give off clouds of sweet smoke until they dry and ignite.  I've used them a lot with fish.    I never dry smoke anything.  I only smoke cook.

                                                                                        H.W.

Man, I'm not sure you should use "accident" in a descriptive way when you are cooking meat at those temperatures!  (Actually 150 is rather high for sous vide isn't it?).  I'm gonna need to drag our excalibur out and set it up somewhere.  It gets used if it's out.

On the subject of cooking at criminally low temperatures... We got an electric smoker at a "freecycle" about a month ago, and now everything meat goes into the smoker.  It's great.  We had no idea how much we would like it.  It's also great to get the cooking out of the house and onto the back deck.  We have been amazed at how much difference it makes.   Any kind of cooking that is easier in every way, just slower works fine by us.  (We are happy to start sooner, if it means less work overall!)  It's already been bemoaned that there probably isn't any practical way to have a smoker on a boat...

[s/v necessity]

We have been smoking hamburgers recently, and I'm not sure they break 135...  you are preaching to the choir here ;)  I was just attempting to inject some color / levity.